A LOOK AT SOUTH DAKOTA: South Dakota was picked seventh in The Summit League's annual preseason poll. The Coyotes enter Thursday's contest with a 11-15 overall mark, and a 5-6 conference record. USD has also earned two consecutive victories. Most recently, South Dakota won at IUPUI and defeated Omaha at home, downing the Jaguars 71-67, and edging the Mavericks, 87-86. Trevor Gruis  and Brandon Bos lead the Coyotes in points per game, averaging 12.2 and 11.8, respectively. Trey Norris averages a team-high 4.4 assists per game, while Gruis averages a team-best 6.3 rebounds per game. Norris owns a team-high 33 steals, while Tyler Flack have tallied a team-best 39 blocks. South Dakota ranks in the 'Top 100' of three NCAA stat categories, including #35 in free throw percentage (74.2), #49 in personal fouls per game (17.5), and #67 in fewest total fouls (454).

SERIES HISTORY WITH THE COYOTES: Western Illinois leads the all-time series 6-2. The Leathernecks dropped the first two meetings between the two teams, first at home on Dec. 6, 1969, 82-74, and then again on December 12, 1970, when USD downed WIU in Vermillion, 83-82. Since the two teams began playing one another in Summit League play, Western has never lost, winning the last five meetings. Last season WIU downed the Coyotes at home in the team's regular season finale, giving the Leathernecks a share of the regular season crown, and then WIU defeated USD in the opening round of The Summit League tournament, 54-53.

Western leads the all-time series 6-2

Dec. 6, 1969 - L - 74-82 - Macomb
Dec. 12, 1970 - L - 82-83 - Vermillion
Jan. 3, 2012 - W - 67-44 - Macomb
Jan. 21, 2012 - W - 47-45 - Vermillion
Nov. 29, 2012 - W - 73-71 - Vermillion
March 2, 2013 - W - 61-59 - Macomb
March 9, 2013 - W - 54-53 - Summit League Tournament
Jan. 23, 2014 - W - 79-61 - Macomb

SANDIFER'S ASSISTS: Freshman guard Jabari Sandifer leads Western (8th in the league) in assists this season, averaging 3.0 per game. The Naperville, Ill. native has dished out a season-high six assists twice, first in Western's game at North Dakota State (Jan. 18) and again when WIU played host to the Bison (Feb. 13). He also dished out five helpers at UTEP (Dec. 21), and has recorded four assists twice, first versus Greenville (Nov. 30) and then again versus Alcorn State (Dec. 29). Sandifer has 12 games this season with exactly three assists. Overall on the year, Sandifer has recorded three or more assists in 19 of 26 games.

CHARITY STRIPE: Western kicked off the season struggling from the free throw line, shooting just 60.5% during the nonconference season. Since then the Leathernecks have improved their shooting percentage from the charity stripe, connecting on 72.9% of their attempts in Summit League play. On the season WIU is shooting 66.4% from the free throw line.

300...MILESTONE REACHED: Western Illinois head coach Jim Molinari reached a career milestone versus South Dakota at home on January 23rd, earning his 300th career victory as a head coach. The Leathernecks head coach is in his sixth year at Western, and 20th season as a NCAA Division I head coach and currently has 301 wins. Molinari's career win totals look like this: 78 at Western Illinois, 7 at Minnesota, 174 at Bradley, and 42 at Northern Illinois.

SUMMIT LEAGUE GAMES: Since head coach Jim Molinari became the head coach at Western before the 2008-09 season, WIU is 39-60 in Summit League action. Over the last three seasons, Molinari and the Leathernecks are 25-20 in conference play.

LAST TIME OUT: Western Illinois and Denver were knotted up with four minutes remaining in Thursday evening's (Feb. 20) Summit League contest, but the Pioneers were able to rattle off five consecutive points and pull away to a 75-67 victory. Western fell to 9-17 overall and 3-8 in league action after the defeat, while Denver improved to 14-12 and 7-4. Both Denver and the Leathernecks shot better than 50% from the field with the Pioneers connecting on 65.8% of their attempts and Western making 54.3% of its.

TEAM LEADERS: Freshman Garret Covington leads Western in games started (23), minutes per game (32.4), points per game (14.3), field goals (112), three-pointers (59), three-point field goal percentage (37.8), free throws (75), free throw percentage (79.8), and defensive rebounds (100). Senior Michael Ochereobia leads the team in rebounds per game (5.2), blocks per game (1.5) and offensive rebounds (43). Senior Adam Link leads the team in field goal percentage (60.9). Freshman Jabari Sandifer leads Western in assists per game (3.0) and steals per game (1.2). 

WESTERN IN THE NATION TOP 100 (Last Released 2/17): The Leathernecks ranks in the 'Top 100' of three NCAA statistical categories. Western ranks #18 in scoring defense (61.4), #43 in three-point field goal percentage defense (31.0), and #79 in field goal percentage defense (41.2).

DOUBLE FIGURES: Nine Western Illinois men's basketball players have had at least one game this season with 10 or more points. The total numbers of 10-plus points games for WIU is 68 led by Garret Covington who has 18 games with 10 or more points. Adam Link ranks second on the team with 13 contests, while Jabari Sandifer has scored in double figures 10 times. Michael Ochereobia has scored 10-plus points nine times this season. Tate Stensgaard has finished eight games with 10 or more points. Mike Miklusak has finished with 10 or more points six times, Jordan Foster three times, and Remy Roberts-Burnett and Mohamed Conde have each scored 10 or more points in one game this season.

HOME SWEET HOME: Western is 28-10 inside Western Hall since the beginning of the 2011-12 season. The Leathernecks went 10-4 during their 2011-12 campaign, 12-2 during last season's conference championship run, and are 6-4 so far this year.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Western Illinois freshman guard Garret Covington was named The Summit League's 'Player of the Week' after finishing the Fighting Leathernecks' final nonconference game of the season against William & Mary (Jan. 4) with a career-high 26 points. Covington also knocked down a career-best five three-pointers in the contest.

ALL-TOURNAMENT NOD: Western Illinois played in two nonconference tournaments this season, the Basketball Travelers Classic at Utah State and the Don Haskins Sun Bowl Classic at UTEP. Adam Link was named to the all-tournament team at Utah State after averaging 14 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game in the invite. Link also shot 60% from the floor, and 66.7% from the free throw line. Mike Miklusak earned all-tournament honors at UTEP after averaging 9.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.0 steal per game in the two games. Miklusak also knocked down a team-best four three-pointers in the tournament. 

DOUBLE TROUBLE: Newcomer Tate Stensgaard recorded the team's first double-double of the season versus Eureka (Nov. 21) at home by scoring a game-high 14 points and pulling down a game-high 11 rebounds. He then earned his second double-double of the season against Omaha (Jan. 11) when he recorded 12 points and 11 rebounds. On December 7th Garret Covington, who is the only other player to tally a double-double, totaled 15 points and a season-high 11 rebounds for Western in a win over Grace Bible.

SHUTTING DOWN EIU: The Leathernecks defeated the Panthers of Eastern Illinois 60-32 on December 4 this season. Eastern's 32 points was the lowest point total the Leathernecks have given up in their program's NCAA Division I history, and the lowest point total WIU has given up since January 10, 1948 when Western defeated Concordia-Missouri, 60-32. EIU's 32 points was also the Panthers' lowest point total since EIU became a Division I program in 1981. 

BLOCK PARTY: Senior Michael Ochereobia tallied a career-high eight blocks for the Leathernecks on December 4 versus Eastern Illinois. As a team, WIU finished with 10 blocks. 

RETURNING TO THE TEAM: Western has six players returning to the team this season in seniors Adam Link,Michael Ochereobia and Billy Molinari, junior Remy Roberts-Burnett, and sophomores Jordan Foster andJason Hawthorne.

WELCOME TO WESTERN: Six newcomers joined the Leatherneck family prior to the 2013-14 season. Four freshmen begin their college playing careers this season in: Garret Covington, Jabari Sandifer, Mike Miklusak and Travis Barnes, while sophomore Tate Stensgaard and junior Mohamed Conde transferred to Western.

SUMMIT LEAGUE PRESEASON POLL: Western Illinois was projected to finish fourth in The Summit League this season according to the annual preseason poll of league coaches, SIDs and media. The Leathernecks, who shared the league's regular season championship last season, received a total of 161 points in the poll.

PRESEASON RECOGNITION: Senior Adam Link was tabbed Preseason All-Summit League Second Team by the league's coaches, SIDs and media. The Elbert, Colo. native finished last season third on the squad in points having averaged 9.9 per game, while also tied for second in rebounds having pulled down 4.1 per game. Link was one of two Leathernecks to start all 31 games last season. Link was also tabbed All-Summit League Second Team by College Sports Madness in September.

DIFFERENT AREA CODES: Western is slated to play 12 games on Waste Management Court inside Western Hall, and 17 games away from Macomb in 11 different states. The graphic below highlights each location WIU is slated to travel to.